


Pictures in a Frame

by Gust



Category: Epic Battle Fantasy
Genre: Gen, Others appear briefly - Freeform, Spoilers, for EBF5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-02 21:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16794892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gust/pseuds/Gust
Summary: Matt walked through the Grand Gallery's hallway, stopping in front of one of the locked doors. An area he had never explored was right in front of him, barred by a door. Well, nothing a sword can't stop!In one brief swoop, he slammed Heaven's Gate through the door, carving out a vague circle. Soon, the impromptu cutout fell out, revealing a room that Matt didn't recognize.Spoilers for EBF5.





	Pictures in a Frame

Stacks of construction paper toppled onto the floor, fluttering into one big mess. Through the sizable hole in the door, Matt poked his head into the room, hoping no one noticed the commotion. Much to the swordsman's relief, not a single NPC was in the vicinity.  
  
Matt needed to get his hands on some loot before the world ended and stealing was the easiest way. Natalie never enjoyed this hobby of his, always reprimanding him that 'they needed to be good role models' and 'we're heroes now.' To Matt's defense, the Grand Gallery had its fair share of treasures to hide and surely they wouldn't mind the world's saviors taking a few things. Lance nabbed a few robots from the factory area and Anna often stole the hedges in the yard. No one complained at all! Surely, the owners wouldn't mind a few missing items here and there.  
  
Unhindered by the clutter, the blonde swordsman slipped inside. Paper crumbled underneath his foot as he blindly felt for a light switch. After tripping on another tower of parchment, Matt gave up and retrieved the everlasting candle from his inventory. The flames emitted a weak glow, barely allowing the pirate to see two feet in front of him.  
  
He wandered around the spacious room, in search of possible torches to set alight. Conveniently, they were placed on each corner, dangerously close to the flammable walls. Soon enough, the room was blessed with a bright light as a treasure chest slipped through the ceiling. Letting out a shout of delight, Matt ran over to the chest and threw the lid open. With his efforts, he was able to find...  
  
... Scissors, spools of string, glue, and a whole lot of paper. Not bad.  
  
It was certainly better than the... dirtballs Nolegs managed to scour out of a prison cell toilet. Anna was watching his attempt with keen interest and once they left the area, Matt was almost certain the cat didn't hear the end of it from her. Though, nothing in the chest was suggestive. Plus, the scissors felt like a key item for sure!  
  
Determined to find more loot, Matt took it upon himself to investigate the room. Aside from the mounds of paper littering the ground, several frames decorated every inch of the white walls. A lone wooden desk stood in the center of the room, miscellaneous supplies scattered upon its surface. Obviously, someone worked here and hopefully they wouldn't return in the next couple of hours. Otherwise, they would be greeted with a swordsman eagerly turning the room upside down. Who wouldn't want to see that?  
  
Shifting the piles of paper onto one side of the room, Matt inspected the array of picture frames on the wall. He did want to take some - perhaps they were worth millions - but he'd have to pick the most unreasonably extravagant portraits someone could muster.  
  
If the rest of the Grand Gallery taught him anything, the pictures usually detailed him or his friends. Occasionally, a portrait of their foes would appear. The styles varied heavily, all portraying the crew in a different light. Some were clearly sketched on paper, while others undoubtedly used an online source. The illustrations were most likely crafted by separate people, considering how the credit tended to be different for each creation, save for a man who shared his name.  
  
Every framed picture on this wall retained the exact same style. Paper cut-outs of differing shapes and colors were glued together. Layers of paper decorated the scene, adding an element of depth. They exploded with vibrant colors, eye-catching features appearing throughout. The artist wasn't credited in the slightest - not even with the long captions underneath each frame - and no trace of their name could be found on the desk.  
  
But what Matt did know was that he recognized this style.  
  
Undoubtedly, the being who created the scenes detailing their futures is the very same one who worked in this room. The identity of this person remained unknown, but Matt had an inkling on who could possibly work in such a secluded environment. Too bad their office was a little too easy to access.  
  
Much like the endings foretelling their tale, the pictures spawned more questions than answers. There were happy moments framed all over the leftmost wall. Moments that would undoubtedly appear at the end of an RPG. The storylines fluctuated greatly - it varied from the characters being the oracle of their gods to young innocent children playing games - but they nearly always starred Matt's crew. Many of these events have never happened, at least to Matt's knowledge.  
  
Perhaps these were stories created by a fan? Or cutscenes that failed to appear in the ending? But Matt is absolutely unable to breathe fire or talk to that creature named Akron on a daily basis... Though, he didn't necessarily try either. With that in mind, the cutscenes probably detailed their previously deleted memories or something, meaning that these scenes DID happen... just in a different simulation.  
  
There were images Matt could recall. Namely, the time where they saved the world from Godcat and that other time when Lance sent them to space out of self-interest. Otherworldly memories sparked upon seeing his friends gathered around Greenwood Village's gem pedestal, amiably conversing with a drink in hand. They complained about the ending that time too, much to Anna's chagrin.  
  
While less destructive, their impromptu adventure was still stunning. The laws of physics ceased to function during the flight, allowing safe travel under the sea and out of the atmosphere. It was surreal to his friends, but the swordsman gladly welcomed the sudden addition. Truthfully, the feeling empowered him; it encouraged Matt to reach new heights and continue his questionable habits. Physics tended to stay on a steady route in the current world, though. There were... a couple instances that allowed him to breathe normally - definitely more than the previous simulations - but it was unlikely he would ever return there again.  
  
The rest of the frames remained unknown to history - at least in this world. Though, it was a shame that Matt couldn't scribe some of the tales and write them off as a true event because holy crap, some of these were epic.  
  
In several, Matt was a mythical dragon and he actually had a body rather than just a standalone head and neck. Some of his friends would also take the forms of fabled creatures, such as elves or tieflings. Anna was even a dryad at some point! Their quests tended to be a long one, often visiting several towns to check if something was amiss. Admittedly, their fantasy selves were way better at being heroes. They always pitched in to help; paying close attention to the NPCs' problems and exploring forbidden ruins after a few inexperienced adventurers lost their way.  
  
His favorite worlds, aside from those filled to the brim with glorious loot and epic battles, were ones where his team was comprised of kids playing together. There was no magic, weapons, or mythical creatures, but those balked in the presence of imagination. It shaped the world they lived in. The planet wasn't going to end, but they were still big heroes that swooped in to save the day. While this would never top those thrilling adventures that explored the thick and thin, it was a nice breather from the worlds of violence.  
  
Honestly, Matt was upset that these types of memories haven't emerged.  
  
He was in luck, as a few of the cutscenes seemed perfectly doable in the current world. Matt would certainly be able to cut Lance's hair, under the presumption the gunner would ever trust him with such a task. Natalie, if it ever crossed her mind, could partake in musical lessons hosted by Anna. Ooh, and Nolegs would surely enjoy stockpiling the party's weapons in one neat pile for other cats to steal!  
  
...  
Wait a sec-  
  
There's no way Nolegs would be Godcat's bride! And Anna would not be the one holding the wedding ceremony! Natalie - thank Godcat that she seemed perfectly normal - was attending. She was sitting awfully close to someone he recognized. Lance - wearing a golden ring that matched Natalie's - contently held hands with the mage, watching the ceremony with clear amusement.  
  
The description below answered the many questions Matt thought he would never have. For starters, Nolegs actually had a speech to share. Alright uhh... Something something love and dedication something something? Wow, that was actually emotional. Plus, Godcat never thought she would find love in... alright, that's definitely weird. Blah blah blah, the reception was nice. Hold on. When did Lance and Natalie get _married_ ?!  
  
Well, this is abnormal. Worse yet, Matt wasn't even in the frame or caption! That's not even fair.  
  
As a matter of fact, plenty of details were missing or incomplete. The artist neglected to craft a proper background, leaving splashes of empty white space. A few props - notably the lack of flowers in the vases and pedestals - were completely omitted. It was possible to just leave the cutscene as is, but...  
  
Matt removed the frame from the wall. He managed to slide the picture out - not without a few dents, unfortunately - and got to work. Scissors in hand, the swordsman slowly cut out proper walls. Then some pedestals. Some flowers too! He glanced at the other pictures for references as he began to create himself. First the blonde hair. Then his head and happy expression. Oh, and his paper version could be wearing some fancy clothes too! He glued the body parts together, still referencing the other pictures.  
  
He slid the extra pedestals into the unfinished scene, gluing them into place. The swordsman mended the remainder of the background, sticking some flowers in a few random areas.  
  
Hmm...  
Anna would most likely want some flowers in her hair for an event like this, wouldn't she? She absolutely adored nature and she looked pretty with them. It felt right when Matt posted a few red flowers on her hair, obscuring the plain rubber-bands that held her fluffy braids.

Nolegs was a little short compared to the levitating Godcat. Surely, the original artist wouldn't mind if he lowered Godcat's position just a little bit.

Wait, that seat shouldn't be there!  
On and on and on, he continued to shift components of the image, forming a scene to his liking. Nothing would escape his grasp in this frame!  
  
***  
Hours upon hours could have flown by, but eventually, Matt completed his edits. Nearly every element in the scene was altered, save for one. His two best friends - both known for their logical dispositions and magical prowess - remained together, hands happily interlocked. If fate wanted them together, then so be it. It was a different world and a different them. Besides, Natalie and Matt were apparently destined to each other in those ending scenes, so he’ll take those chances.  
  
Of course, that didn't stop Matt from placing his avatar near the couple. His paper self, next to the love of his life, watched the ceremony with a careless grin.  
  
Matt placed the scene back into its frame and hung it in its proper place. He adjusted the caption to include him complimenting Nolegs and surveyed his work. Much to the swordsman's amazement, his edits fit in perfectly - inch by inch. Perhaps it was beginner's luck - wait, is that how it works - but it almost seemed as if Matt made no edits whatsoever. Granted, the frame has a couple of new dents and there was one minor crack on the glass. Surely, no one will notice.  
  
He moved onto the next wall, expecting a plethora of fresh cutscenes to follow. The pictures that awaited him were... Well, it was better to describe it with his muttered words.  
  
"Oh, that's... not good."  
  
Matt prayed that these scenes weren't connected to their deleted memories in the slightest, because he absolutely did not want to dream of the world's demise. As time progressed, he had already watched the current world slowly fall into shambles. Wars were waged, cults were formed, and NPCs had drowned themselves in their sorrows. Everyone truly believed the world was going to end.  
  
He and his friends, aware of the severity of the situation, rushed to find the four orbs and defeat the evil that lurked within. It was funny, knowing that the only reason why he left the house was to play more video games.  
  
The world actually did end that time, if only for a moment. It vanished, along with the floor underneath them. The Devourer had laughed as if it was all some big joke, taunting their lacking reaction. Against all odds, they kept fighting, even as events that happened mere hours ago faded from their memory.  
  
Long story short, they had won. With their victory, the world returned in its proper place in a flash. Humanity had rejoiced for its survival as soon as the team emerged from the teleporter. Wars faded away, conservation efforts were supported, and the whole planet hailed the five legendary heroes who saved the world.  
  
And if the pictures in front of him were true, there were many universes where Matt and his friends lost. Not just against the Devourer. There were creatures - ones that Matt couldn't identify in the slightest - bearing bloodied fangs, torn tentacles, and sharp claws; all poised to kill. If the caption was anything to go by, the monsters also wanted to destroy the planet or galaxy or town or someplace. Alternatively, they wanted to rule the planet or galaxy or - honestly, the list could go on.  
  
Apparently, humanity was _that_ bad at keeping targets off their back.  
  
Demons, gods, dragons, spirits - every creature wanted a taste of the planet. But wow, they lost against these kinds of guys? Sheesh, a few of them look like they need a nap and some friends. Then again, a good amount seemed ready to snap the necks of those around them, including allies. Unfortunately, this included the one sole human in this list of world ending and/or ruling maniacs.  
  
Truthfully, Matt should have expected Lance to appear as an antagonist at least once.  
  
The gunner has tried to rule the world on more than one occasion. Even after the Devourer battle, his ambition never faded. In the supposed good ending, Lance ended up living his dream with Matt's help. Well, in a peaceful manner. Matt needed to clarify that part because if the cutscenes in front of him were any indication, Lance's destructive conquest was successful a few times. Though, it never worked in both parties' favor.  
  
Lance saw the rest of the crew as either minuscule nuisances or major threats. Natalie and Nolegs hated his guts with burning passion, no exceptions. Anna, if the heroes were lucky enough to have her on the team, would also want to throttle him. Lastly, Matt's standpoint depended on if he was alive in the first place. They would meet or hear about each other and things fall apart from there.  
  
On a few occasions, Lance would defeat the heroes. He would choose to kill them - save for Natalie - and life would continue with the legendary heroes dead in a ditch. Normally, the story ended there. Sometimes, his leadership left a positive impact on the world, improving their technology and general well-being. Other times, wars would be waged and the world would never recover from the destruction.

Rarely, the story went on. The gunner would continue his violent but somewhat effective way to protect the world, encounter the true antagonist, participate in a grueling battle, then die a horrible death. It was a worthy effort, but inevitable nonetheless.  
  
Luckily, the heroes usually won the final confrontation against him. It was almost hilarious how Lance would never join the group, not even against his will. They'd choose to kill him or leave him at the mercy of the NPCs. This choice, while logically sound, would ultimately lead to the world's downfall, one way or another. Whether it was lack of power or information, the rest of the heroes would perish without his involvement.  
  
There was only one instance where the full team was in action and ironically, it was the plotline that wanted his friends to die the most. Cuz, you know. That made sense. If something could go wrong, it definitely went wrong in this story.  
  
The beginning mirrored Matt's journey to solve the mystery behind the electricity shortage and the earthquake that broke his TV. The events go as followed: he leaves the house with a hockey stick, beats up some local slimes, counts the loot he finds, talks to himself absentmindedly, and crosses the bridges.  
  
The first difference emerged when Matt first met the trash stealing cat with no visible limbs and some knight armor. Rather than hiding, the blue furball was fleeing from a beautiful mage. Matt, while inexperienced and confused, easily takes down Nolegs, who tightly held essay papers in his jaw. Natalie thanks him profusely and they decide to go through the Wilds together with their new cat in tow.  
  
Anna appears earlier as well, expressing her desire to find an exotic rare flower. The group travels together for a bit, learning about each other. They fought rabid plants and fuzzy worms with relative ease, encouraging each other's techniques.  
  
Their first human encounter is as disastrous as the rest of them. With his Neon Valkyrie, Lance rolls in and steals Natalie. A well-placed fire spell decimates Anna as the gunner escapes. At this point, every event after this goes downhill.  
  
Through the power of - okay, Matt was completely dumbstruck by the sheer luck his counterpart had - some unknown force, his party was able to defeat Lance after a long trek to his fortress. They also choose to kill him. Truthfully, he definitely deserved it this time but Matt would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved when Nolegs stepped in. The cat somehow persuaded the group to keep him alive and in the team.  
  
And so, the dysfunctional party of five - but honestly, it was a party of three because two of them couldn't fight - saved the world by telling the major world threat to go have intercourse with themselves and getting taller after the whole ordeal. Yikes.  
  
That was the end of the team's glory and Matt was eternally glad that his Lance wanted to form real relationships with his captors for lack of a better term. Even if the gunner was the swordsman's sworn enemy, a part of Matt wouldn't mind dying for his friend. The other part of him screamed that he could get both of them out of their unsavory situation, but that's beside the point. 

Still, Lance would occasionally cooperate with the group, joining the band of protagonists. Even with his addition, it never guaranteed victory. Sometimes, their foe was on a completely different level than they were.  
  
The Glitch was one example of such. Whatever it was, it loved screwing with them too. If his first encounter with that eldritch abomination said anything, it didn’t give much of a crap about the PCs and only found interest in completely taking over the simulation. He had managed to possess the crew but eventually, the team managed to capture him.

Turns out there were a few times where the Glitch just outright corrupted their data, permanently leaving the simulation in a shattered state. The illustrations - if he could even call it one - were nearly empty. The only substantial work he could follow along was the vague captions of morse and other codes. Matt had learned a minuscule amount of morse after encountering that cult of DIE but knew absolutely nothing about the other encryptions. Maybe Natalie or Lance would know.

For now, he just had to move on. There were still numerous storylines to follow - a task that one man couldn’t complete on his own. Matt turned to the door, intending to check if anyone was nearby. His friends would love to see these, no matter how unrealistic nor gruesome they seemed. They could help sift through the several papers on the floor and survey the pictures. It felt unfair that he could be getting glimpses of their past selves while his team was utterly left in the dark. He made his way to the door.  
  
Then the light flickered out.  
  
He halted in his tracks, not wanting to collide into a wall or fall into the endless piles of paper littered on the ground. That's weird. The candles never blew out on its own, especially inside. Well, it only happened once in that creepy cave where he fought those Hydra Dragons but that must have been a special circumstance.  
  
Perhaps a glitch had occurred within the system. It was rare to see one that wasn't festered by NPCs and that nefarious... thing he'd never want to be subjected to again. This event was relatively minor and didn't result in his immediate death so for now, Matt was perfectly content with slowly navigating his way back to the torches. He took out the candle again, but it turned out that the swordsman didn't need the item.  
  
Before Matt knew it, the room was lit aflame.  
  
It turned out that the walls weren't the only flammable things in the room. In hindsight, the walls were the least of his worries when it came to fires. More importantly, the flames were blocking his exit and Matt needed to leave before he turned into ash.  
  
He made a mad dash for the door, attempting to douse the blazes with water attacks. There was no such luck to be found and Matt figured this room was a lost cause. The man dove through the hole in the exit, landing painfully on his knees and hands. He looked back, watching as debris and embers fell from the ceiling. The walls - all of the frames detailing lost pasts and futures - were eaten away by the inferno.  
  
At this rate, the whole Grand Gallery was going to burn down! If there was something he needed to prioritize, it was finding his friends. They would definitely be able to repair this mess. If anything, they could transfer the valuables outside and let the whole building fall.  
  
Fate finally decided to lean in his favor as footsteps materialized behind him. Matt turned and spotted his three best friends (plus cat) staring at the blaze, all flabbergasted by the total chaos. Natalie took an urgent step forward, preparing a spell to presumably fight off the incoming flames. Determination quickly died in her expression, being replaced with utter confusion. Matt glanced back at the room.  
  
In one fell swoop, the fire had vanished, along with the room in it. All that was left was the eerie view of static.  
  
Natalie was absolutely livid. Matt didn't even have to turn around to feel her scolding gaze staring daggers into his back. Lance's string of bewildered curses already determined the gunner's deteriorating mood. Anna was laughing. Whether it was out of relief or genuine amusement, Matt wasn't sure. Nolegs, who was rather silent, merely scooted next to the swordsman and sat next to him.  
  
There was no way Matt was getting out of this one. Admittedly, he felt terrible for somehow letting the fire escape. The outcome would be a lot more gruesome if the blaze seeped out of the room. Luckily, it was all poofed out of existence. With that issue out of the way...  
  
He absolutely needed to tell his team what was in there. All of those memories and possible timelines were gone, unable to be recovered ever again. Everything in that room could help them re-discover their pasts! There was a chance that these were illusions made by some otherworldly force, aiming to throw off their tracks. Though, the room was locked for a reason.  
  
Finally, they would be able to understand the simulation that they inhabited and maybe even control their fate completely. It was unlikely that his friends would believe him, but they had to know. Matt would make sure of it.  
  
The swordsman spun around, ready to burst into a tirade about his findings. His words quickly died in his mouth.  
  
Ah, he nearly forgot. They didn't like being reminded of their simulated existence.  
  
Truthfully, he couldn't blame them. As PCs, they were the main attraction in the grand scheme of things. Arguably, they had the most freedom, but this didn't amount to much. Out of the whole crew, Matt was the most fascinated. He had spotted the signs right away. Those status effects hovering over his head, all of the text boxes displaying his every word, skills emerging that he had never practiced; it all pointed to one conclusion. Someone was watching them.  
  
At that point, Matt had fully accepted that their world was unnatural and those claims easily rose in legitimacy by the time they had encountered those secret areas. It wasn't confirmed until they had found the source of the world's destruction. Without hesitation, the Devourer had proclaimed the world was a simulation and there was, in fact, a higher being that was controlling them.  
  
Being the first player in the team, Matt was aware of this idea. Talking and thinking to himself ultimately benefited his friends. There were a few times that he had lost faith in whoever this person or creature was, but for the most part, they did well to keep them alive. Matt was glad they existed and the rest had joined in on the theory. Nevertheless, the revelation that their world wasn’t real was a blow that could never be softened.  
  
Instead of sending a death glare in his direction, Natalie was awkwardly staring off in the distance. Lance was still muttering to himself, ignoring the presence of others. Anna was laughing, almost hysterical at this point. Nolegs remained as silent as ever.  
  
So, with a forced grin plastered on his face, Matt had laughed a few words in return.  
  
"Let's not talk about this again, alright?"  
  
For now, his friends didn't need to hear about all of that simulation memory mumbo jumbo. It would never hurt to wait and there was always tomorrow. Right now, Matt just needed a long and peaceful nap.

***  
The very next morning, the blonde hero laid on his bed. Matt just wanted to go back to sleep, but this pounding headache of his didn't take interest in topics of mercy. His throat was parched, but he swallowed the temptation to spew unruly vile into the toilet. What happened?  
  
Was he drinking yesterday? If so, he must have gone overboard, even for a heavyweight like himself. Matt didn't remember a glimpse of the day before. Then again, alcohol did that kind of thing, huh.  
  
Well, whatever. He needed more sleep. Matt would be able to rest and retrieve more memories. His friends might pull him out of bed, but every second count.  
  
He didn't know how many memories there were left to collect. Maybe it would take numerous years before he could reach the halfway point. Even worse, nature could take its course before Matt could experience it!  
  
All the man wanted was a clue or a glimpse in the past. Those "ending" pictures would help a lot, but he couldn't find anything like it.  
  
Eh. Well, he'll take what he'll get. Matt pulled the blanket over his head, closed his eyes, and fell into a bleary dream full of a world he had seen the night before.

Godcat again? Ah, he couldn't be picky, could he?

**Author's Note:**

> Happy EBF5 release day!


End file.
